KZN snakebite alert: Expert warning as heat brings out venomous snakes

A KwaZulu-Natal snake rescuer has issued a strong public warning after multiple people were bitten by venomous snakes in recent days, most of them while trying to help the animals.

“Please do not pick up snakes” warned Nick Evans, a Durban-based snake rescuer, after what he described as “a few incidents this past week where people had picked up venomous snakes, and of course, got bitten.”

According to Evans, the majority of those bitten had good intentions. “The unfortunate thing is, those that pick up the snakes are just trying to help the poor animal. They want to move it to a safer environment. However, a snake does not know this, and will bite out of absolute terror and panic. They do not know if a human is a 'friend or foe'.”

Evans stressed that commonly suggested protective measures are ineffective. Responding to frequent questions, he said: “‘Can you pick up snakes using a glove of sorts, or a towel?’ No!”

He described two recent incidents that illustrate the danger. “In two separate cases this week, one gentleman tried using a rubber glove used for construction to pick up a Night Adder. The Night Adder easily bit through the glove, and the gentleman suffered some mild swelling and pain.”

In another case, “another gentleman was trying to help his neighbour by removing a Stiletto Snake from her house. He used a towel and tried scooping up the snake and towel with some tongs, but got bitten. He received quite a nasty bite.”

Evans said that handling snakes directly is even more dangerous. “Another case, a Stiletto was picked up behind the head, bare-handed. The individual was bitten four times!”

With recent hot weather, Evans said snake activity has increased. “This heat has caused Stiletto Snakes to be more active in the evenings, resulting in at least two bites this past week.”

Despite their small size, Stiletto Snakes are responsible for more bites in Durban than any other species. “Stiletto Snakes are small, adults averaging 30–40cm, and are quite innocent-looking. So, people often pick them up. Because of this, they bite more people in Durban than any other species.”

He explained why handling them is especially risky: “In the second photo, you'll see how their long fangs protrude out the sides of their mouth. This means if you hold it behind the head, you'll still get bitten.”

The species has a venom that can cause serious injury. “They have a nasty cytotoxic venom which thankfully isn't fatal, but does cause swelling, pain, and localized tissue damage if left untreated.”

Night Adders, another species involved in recent incidents, are also venomous.

“Night Adders also have a cytotoxic venom that isn't fatal to humans, but can still pack a punch. The main symptoms are pain and swelling.”

Evans urged anyone bitten by a snake to seek professional medical care immediately. “For both species, or any snakebite, one should seek medical attention. Do not do any first aid at home, and please do not try to take the snake with you to hospital, dead or alive.”

He is also appealing to the public to assist with data collection. “I am trying to build a database of bites, to compare year on year, and more.”

Evans said he only requires basic, non-private information, including “a date of bite, area, species (preferably with a pic), how the bite happened (what I'm most interested in), and how the patient did.”

For quick snake identification, Evans advises contacting trained professionals. “Should you want a snake identified quickly, you can contact me or another snake remover, or use the African Snakebite Institute’s free app, where you can send a photo in for a quick ID.”

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